Firelight
by Kitskune Miyake
Summary: When in doubt, turn to your friends. Alex does this, and discovers how many friends he has...and how many want to be much more. But Alex's affection comes with a price: your safety.


AN: HEY!! I need y'all to know that I'm still alive. Got that? Good. Okay here are the warnings:

Slash/ shounen-ai/ boy love/ etc.

Bombing

Uncomfortable situations

OOC-ness

Disclaimer: IF I FRIGGIN OWNED ALEX RIDER, WOULD I BE HERE?

Firelight

_by KitskuneMiyake_

It was a cold night in New York. All the lights on Maple Street were out, except for a small place that was big enough to hold half of the neighborhood. Two brown-haired figures, a darker-haired short one and a taller and fairer-haired one, sat close to each other. They both stared into a fire, a roaring blaze that glowed cherry red. The shorter one leaned up against the taller one and sighed.

"D'you like my place?"

"You own this?" the other boy said in an astounded voice.

"Yea, I can't stand my parents." _Figures_ thought the tall one. They sat in silence.

"Hey."

"What do you want, James?" said the tall kid. He sounded irritated, but he knew that he was just trying to hide his true thoughts.

"I know that I have no legal jurisdiction over you, but I want you to tell me: Do you want to move in here?"

Alex was astonished, to say the least. For the past few years, Alex had been a pawn of the cruel put him in deadly operations; they made him act as a member of a reconnaissance squad; they made him kill people. He was twisted so badly that he probably needed therapy. He was jumpy, paranoid, and showing signs of possible schizophrenia. Nowadays, Alex could hardly tell which was more surreal: moments where he stood over dead bodies, panting hard; or moments like this, warming up next to the fire with no bombs or assassins.

"Earth to Alex, can you answer my question?"

Alex knew what to say. "I'd love to live here, James."

"You can, Alex. All you have to do is answer one question."

Alex groaned. "I thought this was my day off, not Ms. Brightwell's history class."

"It's an easy question: do you love me?"

Alex was quick to reply. "Of course I do, stupid. You're my best friend."

James was adamant. "No, do you _really_ love me? Would you leave everything in the world for me and me only? If you can truthfully say yes, you can stay here. I know what I'm doing Alex, I know what really needs to be said: Will you marry me, Alex Rider? "

Alex was taken aback. He regarded James as his closest friend. He relied on James when he needed to get away from MI6. James had always been kind and empathetic, never being too prying. Alex always thought he was being a good friend. Now he could tell what was going on.

Alex couldn't respond to James's question. He loved James. He wasn't sure whether or not he _could_ say that he loved James. He was too friendly to him. He couldn't risk ruining their perfect friendship if Alex wanted another person, or if James left him. Alex's last connection to himself from when he was eleven and totally untouched by any of this couldn't be destroyed.

He knew what he would say. _James, I _do _love you. I really do. I just can't risk ruining what we already have. If I lose you, my last connection to _me _will be shattered. I want to just stay friends. I'm not denying you, James. I just don't feel stable enough to have such a statement such as, "I love you" held against me, not just by you, but by my enemies as well. Remember what happened to Jack? She loved me, and the yakuza killed her. If you get killed, I'll never forgive myself. James, I love you too much to stay with you._

Alex knew he would hurt James so much. It would hurt him as well, but these words needed to be said. Unfortunately, he never got to say them.

James said, "What is that damn ticking noise? I must get Eloise to shut it off."

Alex knew what was happening. When you've spent eight years of your life in the spy business, you recognize a sound like this immediately. He had little time to think and began analyzing his options. The cozy couple was on the third story next to a giant balcony. The swimming pool was right below them. He grabbed the sheet off James's bed, and grabbed James by the waist. They just barely had the moment to jump before the bomb slipped through the chimney blew up the whole mansion.

The initial force of the bomb blew them at least ten feet away from the balcony, just as Alex had planned. James was gripping onto Alex's skin and hanging on for dear life. The wind picked them up and slowed the makeshift parachute down as they landed into the pool with a dull splash.

Alex's leg hurt like hell. He wanted to just sink there, but he put all of his efforts into rescuing a floundering James, who could not swim an inch in a kiddy pool. He somehow managed to drag James to the edge of the pool and pulled them both out of the water. Then he just laid back and coughed up chlorinated water. He and James were a mess, but at least they were alive.

Slowly, James came to. He stared at the still burning house. He was still hacking up pool water along with the hot chocolate they were drinking a few minutes ago.

"My-my house," he wailed quietly. "It's all gone. It'll take at least two years to rebuild this. I can't go to my parent's house; I hate them, and the feeling is mutual. I have no where else to go."

Alex couldn't join in with his lamentation. He was scanning the area for the perpetrator. He saw a flash of something silver, perhaps a knife or gun, on the roof of a building. The suspect disappeared in a flash.

Alex mentally cursed. Then he smiled.

"James, you've been to my house. D'you like it there?"

Sniffling, he replied, "Yes."

"How would you like to live there?"

"Does it look like I have much of a choice?" James said sardonically.

"All you have to do is answer one question." James looked hopeful. The situation had changed. Alex was James and James was Alex.

"What…is the capital of the United Stated of America?"

James made a face and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You're mean! I didn't ask you such a hard question." James had obviously thought that Alex's indecision was just suspense.

Alex grinned, feeling happier because of their playful banter. "Fine," he said, sounding exasperated, "you can stay for free."

James grinned. "What about my question, Rider?"

"Huh?" Alex said smartly.

"Will you marry me or what?"

"One step at a time, you imbecile."

"I'll start shopping for matching suits. Black suits you, you sexy beast."

Alex faked exasperation. "This is gonna be a long two years."

"Or more," James added.

AN: Like it? Hate it? I couldn't care less. Leave a review and show that you care. I don't hate flames. Hate is a negative form of passion. What I don't like is indifference. Make a difference and show that you like, hate, or have some pointers.

**TTFN **(**T**a **T**a **F**or **N**ow)


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